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United Arab Emirates → United Kingdom

Importing your car from the UAE to the United Kingdom

We handle the whole process of importing your car from the UAE, including shipping, testing and registering cars.

  • Shipped from Jebel Ali
  • RTA deregistration handled by our agents
  • Shared container rates
  • Any age or type of car
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Why choose My Car Import?

A one stop shop for importing your car

We handle the whole process of importing your car from the UAE, including shipping, testing and registering cars. We can handle any age or type of car. We are experts in the process and offer a one stop shop for importing your car.

We ship your car from Jebel Ali and our agents assist with the whole RTA deregistration process. We can also organise inland trucking to the port for very competitive rates.

From the UAE we ship cars using shared containers, meaning you benefit from a reduced rate for moving your car to the UK by sharing the containers with our other clients’ cars.

  1. We modify your car at our premisesThe car is modified and tested by ourselves for compliance in the United Kingdom.
  2. We test your car at our premisesAll relevant testing is undertaken onsite at our privately owned IVA testing lane.
  3. We take care of the entire processFrom transport and customs through to modifications, testing and DVLA registration.
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Tell us where your car is and what stage you’re at, and we’ll price the whole job.

Frequently asked questions

Every vehicle is different. If yours isn’t covered here, just ask.

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How long does it take to transport a car from the UAE to the United Kingdom?

On average, it can take around 4 to 6 weeks for the sea journey. Customs clearance may take a few days to a week or more.

Other factors include the shipping service chosen – RoRo or container – UK inland transport requirements, and documentation preparation.

What is the process for importing cars under ten years old?

We do this using an IVA test. We have a privately operated IVA testing facility in the UK, meaning your car will not be waiting for a testing slot at a government testing centre, which can take weeks, if not months to obtain. We IVA test every week on-site and therefore have the fastest turnaround to get your car registered and on UK roads.

Every car is different and every manufacturer has different support standards for assisting their clients through the import process, so please get a quote so we can discuss the optimum speed and cost option for your circumstances.

We manage the whole process on your behalf, whether that is dealing with the homologation team of your car’s manufacturer or the Department for Transport, so you can relax in the knowledge that you will be legally registered with the DVLA in the shortest time possible.

We have built an extensive catalogue of the makes and models of cars we have imported so can give you an accurate estimate of what your car will require to be ready for its IVA test.

What is the process for importing cars over ten years old?

Cars over 10 years old are type approval exempt but still require a safety test, called an MOT, and similar modifications to an IVA test prior to registration. The modifications depend on the age but are generally to the rear fog light.

If your car is over 40 years old it does not need an MOT test and can be delivered directly to your UK address ahead of it being registered.

Importing from somewhere else?

We collect from right across the EU. Pick a country for the guide to bringing a car home from there.

North America

Asia–Pacific

Middle East

Europe outside the EU

Africa

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Will I pay import tax?

Are you moving to the UK?

If you are moving to the UK, have lived outside the UK for more than 12 months and have owned the car for more than 6 months, you will be eligible for a tax and duty free import.

To qualify, you will complete a Transfer of Residency application with HMRC. Customers of My Car Import have access to handy guides to complete this application.

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Have you bought a car from the EU?

Vehicles registered in the EU attract 20% import VAT, based on the purchase price of the car and any associated transport costs to bring it to the UK. The import VAT is calculated on your purchase invoice for the car, or a recent valuation if the invoice is more than 3 months old.

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Have you bought a car from outside the EU?

Vehicles registered outside the EU attract 20% import VAT and 10% import Duty, based on the purchase price of the car and any associated transport costs to bring it to the UK. The import VAT is calculated on your purchase invoice for the car, or a recent valuation if the invoice is more than 3 months old.

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Have you bought a classic car?

Vehicles over 30 years old qualify for a special rate of taxation, due to their historical interest, similar to an antiquity.

You will pay 5% import VAT and no import Duty, based on the purchase price of the car and any associated transport costs to bring it to the UK. The import VAT is calculated on your purchase invoice for the car, or a recent valuation if the invoice is more than 3 months old.

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Have you got a car that was formerly UK registered?

If you exported a car from the UK and are now returning with it, you may be able to import the car back into the UK tax free, as long as you can provide a UK purchase invoice when you acquired the car, along with a copy of your former UK V5C logbook.

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For a no obligation quotation to import your car fill out our quote form.

We have imported thousands of cars from around the world into the United Kingdom and we have over 25 years experience doing so.

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